The Future Within
by VeggieVamp
Summary: A sort of prequel of Alice's human life up to how she was changed. Ever since Alice was small, she's had strange headaches and vivid images. One day, she sees a tragedy and tries to prevent it. She's mistaken as mad and is placed in the asylum.
1. Newspapers

**Chapter 1**

**(A/N: Here it is! The promised companion to 'In Sickness and in Health'. This is the story of Alice's human life. Enjoy!)**

Prologue

In the 1901, the world accepted a lot of amazing people. Some with extraordinary talents that hit it off in the media, and some were hidden in the dark. Some with talents that were quite common were honored above all, and some were forced into cells and persecuted. One of them read minds, the other saw the future. As humanity, we must learn to embrace these powers and put them to our advantage instead of chasing them away. After all, you'll never know what they might become…

Chapter 1

I was born in Biloxi, Mississippi in 1901. That's usually one of the first things I'd say when my mother introduced me to her friends. I don't care much about the facts or the world around me, most of the time; I played in my own world, the one I created in my mind.

Mother hates how I'm so disorganized. She calls my room a pigsty. I'd just hum and dance out of the so called 'pig sty'. I loved dancing. The graceful movements of ballerinas always managed to entrance me.

Cynthia, my little sister, was almost always dreadfully annoying. She likes digging into my stuff. I once found her wearing some of the make up I stole from Mother's purse. I wished Mother would give her a good spanking for that, but I was blamed for that incident like many others when Cynthia was clearly at fault.

Today's date blurred in my head. I shook it and remembered that it was December. The snow outside was a brilliant white and it glittered as the rays of light hit it. December 30th, 1920, I recited in my head. The only reason I remembered the year was the old newspaper clippings strewn about the dining table.

The terrible epidemic that stalked America had just ended in June. I was glad the illness had not touched Mississippi. Sometimes Mother would like to torture Cynthia and I by reading us stories from the survivors. I yawn during these stories. They were horribly dull.

Today, she called us again for our daily reading. It was an article written by one of the doctors who worked in a hospital in the peak of the tragedy. I leaned my head against the wall, waiting for sleep to overcome.

"Who is it this time?" My ten year old sister asked with no expression. I sighed and looked at my nails; they were chewed up and messy. Mother hated my nails too. Sometimes, I think she wishes that I would be more like the rest of the family, calm and graceful instead of defiant and energetic.

"A doctor by the name of Carlisle Cullen," She said, flipping open the newspaper. I got ready to stage my loud yawn when a searing headache entered my head. I let out a small gasp and clutched at the carpet, not daring to make a sound.

Please not now, I prayed silently, not in front of everybody. Ever since I was five, I've had these strange headaches. Mother took me to see a physician many a times but they always said that I was fine. I didn't mind the headaches but the startling images that came after them.

They weren't like the black and white movies Mother always took us to see for these pictures were vivid and filled with color. They were sometimes blurry and passed quickly but the eerie part about it is I would always know when something was about the happen. Like some premonition of the future or something.

I remember reading up about witches in the 19th century. If I told somebody about these 'visions' would I be burned at the stake too? Would they throw me over a cliff to see if I would float or drown?

This time, the vision was short. It lasted about two seconds but the image burned into my brain. A man with an extremely pale complexion was smiling at me, his blond hair neatly combed and there was another figure standing behind him. I couldn't remember the latter but the man's face was very clear indeed.

"Mary? Mary, are you alright?" My sister asked, tugging on my sleeve and bringing me back to reality. I jerked awake, my mind scrambling. I realized that I had just fallen unconscious on the floor. I picked myself up, flushing.

"Yes, I am quite fine, thank you," I muttered, "Just another one of my headaches."

"You probably forgot to take your medication today," My mother scolded. I glowered at her before sitting back down. She sighed as she searched for the page in the newspaper. A photograph on the article screamed at me. I couldn't help but gasp softly.

The face in the photograph matched the one in my vision. Although the picture was black and white, I could imagine the gold in the doctor's hair, the almost white shade to his skin and the purple smudges (from stress, perhaps) under his eyes. I shuddered delicately, wondering what this could possibly mean. Mother paid me no attention and began to read.


	2. Tragedy

**Chapter 2**

**(A/N: Please review! I don't own Twilight.)**

Chapter 2

I was paying attention for once, leaning forward eagerly. Cynthia cast me a suspicious look. I almost never showed interest in the outside world. After all, the world can't affect what's in this house; the same routines, day after day, the neatness of the room seeping like mist eerily.

Mother's raspy voice spoke, reading the article, "Doctor Cullen, who worked with the most serious of cases in Chicago, was convenient to drop by our office today to tell us about his experiences with the patients. He is an accomplished doctor who was greatly honored during the people's time of need.

"During our interview, Doctor Cullen, or Carlisle as he prefers to be called, talked about some particular patients in which he had become attached to but lost to the dreadful illness that the scientists now call the 'Spanish Influenza'. He named several families such as the Watkins and the Millers. He proceeded to talk about a woman who fought strongly for her life, but lost.

"'It was very painful to see Elizabeth waste away,' he recalled, looking sorrowful. 'I can never forgive myself for becoming so attached and doing the wrong thing in the end.' When our reporters asked what that might be, he hesitated before responding, 'just letting her die." Nothing more was said about the subject of the Masens, whose family name was wiped out in the epidemic as all members of the family passed away.

"Carlisle believes in trying to cure as many people as possible and he is heading off to Canada to see if there are any hospitals which require his help. For a successful doctor like him, we have no doubt that he will be welcomed anywhere."

Mother stopped reading and closed the newspaper. I closed my eyes and leaned against the wall. In my head, I pictured the chaos of the hospital with people mourning over their dead family and patients moaning in pain on the cots. How horribly, I thought to myself, and felt slightly guilty for wanting to live. So many people had died while I was here, screaming at my sister and disobeying my parents.

"That will give you something to think about," Mother said, clearing the table and getting up to fetch some tea. Cynthia yawned as she skipped out to the garden to play. I nodded mutely before climbing the stairs to my room. It was a pig sty.

I kicked aside some 'Vogue' magazines, sending the photographs of Louise Brooks flying. I would usually look at them and admire the model's modern, short black hair, but today I had more pressing matters in my mind.

Number one, my vision. Most of my visions were simple things, like Mother taking Cynthia to get a shot or Father, bringing home another dictionary. Somehow, I had a feeling that this one involved a change, and a big one at that.

Number two, the strange man in the vision named Carlisle Cullen. There was something about him that I sensed was different. It was charm but it was something else too that repelled me. His features were alien, almost too perfect. His eyes were… but then I couldn't remember. My memory failed me as I tried to picture his eyes. Troubled and frustrated, I kicked the rug. A flame erupted in my head as I crumpled to the ground, another vision clouding everything else.

A train moving at top speed was zooming past, its whistle blaring. The scene, although loud, was oddly peaceful. There was nothing extraordinary about a cargo carrier moving across an empty field. As I focused more on the scene, however, I noticed that it wasn't a cargo carrier; it was a passenger train with the glass windows. The passengers were not seated calmly and talking amongst themselves, many of them were sobbing or hugging one another.

I noticed the problem. The train compartments had come apart somehow and the runaway compartment had turned onto an unfinished track. The unfinished track led to the cliff. I could see the small toddlers screaming and the parents trying to hang on to something frantically. A sickening crunch came from one who tried to jump off the death trap. That person looked oddly familiar. Blackness seeped in and the vision disappeared.

I awoke with a scream. The running footsteps of Mother growing louder as she threw open the door to my room.

"What is it now?" She commanded, her face stern.

Then, I did something I had sworn never to do in my life, and it was this decision that changed my life forever. What was there to do? Not warn anybody and let my best friend, Helen, jump off the train to her designated fate? I opened my mouth and told Mother of my vision. Once done, I knew I can never go back.


	3. Escape

**Chapter 3**

**(A/N: Review and more reviews! I need more! I don't own Twilight.)**

Chapter 3

The next few hours were excruciating. After I explained what I had just seen, Mother didn't freak out or overreact or shake my shoulders and demand to know more so she can report it to the police. She just stared at me, a peculiar expression coming over her face.

"When have you had these visions?" She asked in a deadly calm voice, her brown eyes piercing mine. I gulped and stopped babbling about how we've got to save Helen.

"Well, since I was five. Why?" I asked, confused. Why does she care about the events passed? Shouldn't she care more about the dozens of people that were about to die?

"I will be right back, Alice. Please stay in your room for now, I think I need to make a call," She said again in that calm voice. I nodded happily and went to sit on my bed with another Vogue magazine. I was certain that she will now contact Helen's family and warn them to not leave on that trip they were planning to take.

I heard Mother's low voice downstairs as she conversed with my father. For a while, it seemed normal, but the air vent carried their voices to my room. It was then when I realized that something was wrong.

I immediately rushed over to the opening which allowed fresh air to pass through and pressed my ear to it.

"– surely there's no cure? I heard that Madelyn's child fell ill too. She had to ship poor Magda away," Mother's voice said. Cure? Ill? What was she talking about?

"I always knew we went wrong somewhere," Father growled, "She's always been different, hasn't she? Always doing what no proper lady should. It's like a kind of relief to know the reason behind it all."

"I can't believe it. What a horrible thing to befall our daughter! What other choice do we have?"

"I will make the call to the asylum."

"This incident will destroy our family's name! Whatever will everybody else think? A mental patient in our own home!"

"Oh, for Heaven's sake, calm down, Dorothy. We will fake her death. No one would be the wiser."

"Disown our flesh and blood? Peter, how heartless can you be?"

"I'm a scientist, Dorothy. I know that there is no cure for such insanity. It's better for all of us this way. I don't even think Alice has real knowledge of what goes on around here half the time. That is to be expected of the mental wards, I guess, but Mary will never know what's going on."

"Shall I make the call then?"

I leaned away from the vent, feeling sick to my stomach. They didn't believe me. My own parents thought I had problems in my brain. I'd seen some of the people that walked around the local asylum. They were the true patients. I was not going to allow myself be disowned and locked up.

Making my decision, I rushed to my wardrobe to gather some simple clothes and my toiletries. I was going to get out of here before they caught me. I pictured myself, living in the woods on honey and dew, dancing under the sunlight while singing my favorite song. A picture perfect life, all in all. I turned the doorknob, anticipating this life.

It was locked. I swore under my breath, knowing what Mother would say if she were here. Of course it was locked. I should have known.

I glanced around the room for another escape. The curtains from my window beckoned me. I ran to it and jerked open the window. The freezing air hit me but I didn't pay it any attention.

I set one foot outside, on the icy roof while I worked my small body out the opening. When I was fully out the house, I let out a small laugh. That wasn't hard at all! Now I had to find out how I was going to get down from the second floor.

I noticed the drain running down the side of the house. It was my only escape. I could hear the phone being used downstairs as I slid down the pipe, my parents oblivious as the drapes were drawn in the sitting room.

I gave my house one last glance before I took off across the lawn, to the safety of the forest that I knew lay two miles from my house. In my haste, I had forgotten to put on my boots. My feet were freezing from the snowy ground and my flimsy slippers were tatters now. I kept running towards the trees, towards freedom.

When I finally saw the first spruce, I paused for a second to catch my breath. I turned back to see where my house was. It was startling to see an empty field with little black dots that were buildings in the distance. I had forgotten that I had just run two miles.

I danced over to the tiny hunting path and followed it deeper into the woods. From my bag, I extracted a blanket and wrapped it around myself. I was frozen now, my teeth chattering loudly as I seeked for a cave or a hole in the tree that I could live in. I always confuse reality with fairy tales.

The best I could find was a small space under a large pine tree that was shady and soft. The dirt was exposed there and there was no trace of white all around. When I crawled under, it was slightly warmer too. I rested my head on the ground, exhausted, as I fell into a deep slumber, not hearing the loud noises of animals or the warning of a thunderstorm.


	4. Murderer

**Chapter 4**

**(A/N: I will wear my pajamas to school tomorrow if I get 20 reviews. And I'll bring my gigantic teddy bear too! REVIW! I don't own Twilight.)**

Chapter 4

Cold. Alone. Dark.

When the rain finally came, it was a relief, because with the rain, I found peace. The soft patter of the drops against the ground melted away the snow, turning everything into muddy puddles. I caught the drops in my parched mouth and it quenched my thirst. My stomach growled impatiently. Sometimes, I can be so naïve. How was I going to survive out in the forest alone?

I crawled out from the safety of the tree to go search for food. Berries, roots, anything that is edible will do. My mouth watered as I thought of the hot chicken Mother would be cooking. You're not wanted anymore, I thought sadly as I pushed aside branches.

Crack.

I whipped around. My feet had not snapped any branches. The sound had originated from the shadows. Crack. There it was again. I chuckled nervously, breaking into a run through the woods. There was a gust of wind and it felt as if I was being followed.

Just an animal, I told myself, a deer perhaps. But I was suddenly frightened. Who knew what lived in these woods? I had seen hunters shoot their rifles out here, bringing home large wolves and the occasional mountain lion.

"Hello?" I called out, not expecting anyone to answer, "Is anyone out there?" There was that gust of wind again as something, or someone streaked past me. Clutching my blanket around my skinny shoulders, I began running in the opposite direction, ducking under branches and weaving around thickets of thorns. The plants scratched at my skin until it bled and I heard a growl issue from the trees.

"Go away!" I shrieked on the top of my lungs, aware that I could now see where the village was, "Go find something else to eat!"

"That's the problem, my dear. You smell absolutely delicious," a man's voice spoke. I froze, paralyzed with fear. The voice was calming, like the pastor's on Sunday, except much more alluring. That's when he emerged from the shade.

He was tall, with broad shoulders and his skin was as white as snow. His eyes were surrounded by smudges of violet and his hair brown. It wasn't any of these things that I noticed first; it was the bright red of his irises. They were crimson, like blood.

"What a shame it is to eat such a delicate human like you," he spoke again, surveying me with his scarlet eyes, "Well, drink, to use the right term. Your blood does smell divine." The man paced circles around me, but his strides were long and brisk. My head spun.

"You stay away from me," I warned, raising my little fists up. "I'll tell the police! The sheriff! They'll put you in jail because you're a bad man!"

He stared at me for a second, then threw his head back and laughed. The sound made the hair on my arms stand up. It wasn't unpleasant, but it was frightening. "Nothing can restrain me, little one," he chuckled, "there's nobody here to protect you. But since you seem so strong to er…live, let's chat for a bit."

I blinked, wondering why my legs weren't moving. "Chat?"

"Yes, chat. Talk, converse, whatever you'd like to call it," He smiled again, his teeth whiter than his skin, "My name is James. What a pleasure to make your acquaintance. What might your name be?"

His gaze held mine, and my mind blanked. I blurted out, "Mary!" It was foolish of course, to make small talk. I knew my death was near.

I suddenly heard the sound of hoofs in a distance. There were loud chattering too as few horses came into view. The hunting party. James hissed in his throat.

"Don't forget the Volturi," he whispered as if to himself, "nothing major." Then he was gone as suddenly as he appeared. I was so relieved, I collapsed on the ground, crying and gasping for breath. That's how the leader of the party found me, in a wreck and babbling about blood drinkers.

"A runaway from the Asylum," I heard one of them say. I shut my mouth immediately, but it was too late. I could see how they could make the assumption. The Asylum was right on the edge of the forest.

"Hey, Bill. You want to take this freak?"

"No way, you go do it. I've had enough crazies stumbling into my yard. They're useless I tell you. A complete waste of money keeping them alive. I might as well shoot them in the head with this rifle and they'll probably thank me for it."

"Ah, forget it, I'll take her."

I closed my eyes and pretended to have passed out while a man picked me up and set me down on his horse. I felt the ground moving beneath me. It seemed like eternity before the horse stopped.

"Oh for heaven's sake, wake up," the man commanded, shaking me. I opened my eyes to see his face, filled with revulsion and disgust. "Hurry along now." He stretched each word out and said it slowly, as if I did have problems.

Still too shocked to speak, I merely nodded and ran to the safety of the building. I shivered as I ran past the trees because I seemed to see a pair of red eyes, gazing at me through the shadows. Maybe I was crazy after all.


	5. Eileen

**Chapter 5**

**(A/N: Come on, review! I just realized that Alice's human name was 'Mary' so I had to go back and change everything. Serves me right for failing as a twilight know-it-all. I don't own Twilight.)**

Chapter 5

My parents were waiting for me on the cold steel chairs of the rectangular room. The room was painted a silent white color. A doctor in a matching lab coat stood with them, eyeing me coldly. He turned to my parents and spoke as if I wasn't in the room with them.

"It is a common case amongst the mentally ill," he said in his technical voice, it too was cold and without emotion, "to run away from things they love. Their brain is too unwired to be entirely aware of their surroundings."

"I'm sorry I scolded you, Mary," My mother cried, reaching for me, "I never realized!" I stood there in shock, cringing away from the comfort of her arms. She was the reason why I was now standing in this room.

"There's no point, Mrs. Brandon. She has no idea what you are saying. Now can I get you, mister, to sign here and here? I expect half the payment now and I will bill you for the rest."

I glowered at the doctor and opened my mouth to speak, but a nurse tugged me away immediately. I caught one last glimpse of my mother's anxious face and my father's frowning one before the door swung shut. I heard the scratching of a pen against paper and I fainted.

****

When I came to, I was lying on a white bed in a white room with padded walls. My mouth was parched. I swung my legs over the sides and pulled on the doorknob. It was locked.

With a heavy sigh, I sat on the ground and leaned my head against the wall. The events of the day came rushing back to me and I almost passed out again. The vision of the strange doctor came first, followed by my parent's hushed conversation. I remembered how the ice felt beneath my feet and the soft soil as I curled into it, hearing the rain pound the ground. Then, I remembered the bright red eyes of 'James' who said that he drank blood. Life just didn't make sense anymore.

I wanted to laugh. Who were these doctors that they thought I was mad?

"Time for your walk, dear," a soft voice said as the door opened. My head snapped up. The voice was calm and musical; it was a very pleasant voice. The only thing more beautiful than the voice was the woman who entered.

She was thin, and had soft brown ringlets falling around her kind face. She was pushing a wheelchair. What intrigued me the most about her was her extremely pale skin and gold irises with purple smudges around them. She looked very much like the man in my vision.

"Walk?" I repeated, confused and hoping she wouldn't mistake my reaction to be that of an insane person.

"Yes, we don't just keep you locked in the cell, you know," she laughed, a tinkling of the chimes, "we take our patients out twice a day to get some fresh air. Just don't pull a fast one on me, because you won't get far. My name's Eileen, by the way. "

"I can walk myself," I said, eyeing the wheelchair with suspicion and ignoring her introduction, "That's going to make me look sick or mentally ill. I don't need help."

"Then why are you here, my dear?" Eileen mused before nudging me into it. She stared at me curiously for a bit, "Though you are not like the other patients I was assigned to before. You seem to be able to think for yourself."

I sat in the chair unwillingly. "Of course I can think for myself, I'm only in here because of two very unfortunate things and nobody seems to believe me on either accounts." The chair rolled out the door into the white hallway.

"Oh? And they are?" She asked with careful amusement in her voice. The chair rolled out a back door into what seemed to be a small indoor garden. There were floral scents in the air, even though it was winter.

I didn't know why, but I told her everything from the beginning. I started with my vision of the strange man, "I always had these things, visions I guess. Anyways, my mother was reading my sister and I a article on a doctor by the name of Carlisle Cullen,"

As I mentioned his name, I thought I saw Eileen's golden eyes widen a little. "Yes, I've heard of him," she muttered, almost to herself.

I continued. "So suddenly, this headache hits me, which usually happens before I have a vision, and I see this man. It was very strange because he looked very much like you. He had really pale skin and strange golden eyes, just like yours."

Eileen froze now; I saw that her hand was clenched tightly around the wooden bordering of the flower boxes. "It is just a genetic mutation," she said, almost in a defending voice.

"Later on in the day," I started again, "I had another vision that my best friend, Helen, was going to get into an accident. I've never told my mother about my visions before but this was important, so I told her. She immediately went downstairs and I overheard her conversation with my father. They thought I was mad."

"Naturally," Eileen muttered.

"So I ran away from home, hoping I could start another life somewhere. I wasn't afraid until this other man appeared. He said his name was James and he was very scary indeed because he ran super fast."

"What did he look like?" Eileen's voice was flat, but her eyes were wide.

"Well, he looked kind of like you and that doctor in my vision, but he had red eyes. He also said he wanted to drink my blood or something like that," I scoffed, "he's the one who should be locked up, not me."

"Yes, well, I'm sure he's just another mental ward," the woman said, her beautiful face still in shock, "I guess I should take you back now…"

"Mary," I told her, "It's Mary."

"Mary then. That was a very interesting story you have there. I must ask you to not tell anybody about it. Not even your parents, do you understand?"

I nodded because she looked very serious as she wheeled me back to my room. She left after telling me she'll be back later with my meal. I found that I have just made my first and only friend here, and she didn't even look human.

"


	6. Electricity

**Chapter 6**

**(A/N: REVIEW!!! MAWR REVIEWS!!!)**

Chapter 6

The next day, Eileen left in a hurry as Dr. Sinclair, the head of the institution and the doctor who my parents were talking to yesterday came to check on me. He said he needed to make a thorough examination of every patient.

I didn't him. He did not talk to me while he was in my room and merely prodded me with his medical instruments like I was cattle. He took some notes on a clipboard and finally turned to me in what he obviously thought looked like a kind expression. I thought it made him look a like a hawk, getting ready to capture its prey.

"Now, Miss Brandon," He said cheerily in his cold voice, an odd combination that made it seem out of place, "Can you tell me why you believe that these things in the future are about to happen?"

I know that Eileen told me not to tell anyone about the mysterious red-eyed man, but that was surely just to keep me from trouble? I was already considered crazy anyways and wouldn't it be worth it if they believed my tale and captured the insane murderer?

So I made the second biggest mistake in my life; I told Dr. Sinclair EVERYTHING. Even about the strange 'blood-drinker'.

****

I talked until my mouth was parched and my lips were chapped. Dr. Sinclair merely looked at me with a look of disgust and disbelief. Eileen had returned just in time to hear me start on my story of the man with crimson irises. I heard her let out an almost inaudible gasp as she perched in the doorway, watching me with an unfathomable expression.

The doctor finally looked up after I finished talking from his clipboard on which he was writing on.

"I see, Miss Brandon," He said in his unfeeling voice. Eileen was watching him carefully, her stance as if she'd bolt if he moved an inch.

Then he turned to Eileen who started. "Nurse Eileen, would you be so kind as to wheel this patient down the shock therapy rooms? This is the worst case of delusional thinking I've ever come across in my life!"

My eyes widened as I leapt up suddenly. "No!" I screamed at Eileen, "You can't do this to me! You know I'm innocent! I'm not crazy! I saw what I saw! Please, Eileen, don't let him do this!"

"See to it," The doctor in the white lab coat snapped before exiting the room briskly. Eileen coaxed me into my wheelchair which I refused until she finally threatened to take away my meals for a week.

"Oh, Mary, I'm so sorry," Eileen apologized as I stared straight ahead, trying not to pay attention to her whimsical voice. "If I'd defended you, a whole host of things could start up. The newspapers would come and I just can't risk that!"

"Risk what?" I demanded, my voice cross, "So the newspapers would come. I'll tell them my story and they'll lock me up again. They'll double your pay cheque to take care of me. How perfectly wonderful."

Eileen shook her head of brown ringlets as she smiled sadly down at me. "Things just don't work that way, my dear. Of course we'd all be risking our lives down, more mine than yours as I'm supposed to be in charge. Who knows what the Volturi would do."

"The Volturi?" I repeated, uncomprehending.

"Oh, I've said too much already," Eileen mumbled, looking thoroughly forlorn as she unlocked the cold metal doors.

It was worse than I'd imagined.

"How long do these treatments go?" I asked again.

"For the rest of your life," Eileen whispered, she looked as if she was about to cry. "Oh Mary, I'm so, so, so sorry!"

"You should be -" I couldn't finish because a pain worse than anything I'd ever known zapped through me. I could feel the electricity coming to life in my veins and working its way through my blood, coursing through my body. Then it was over.

Before I could catch my breath, it started again.

"I'm going to try to end this as soon as possible but really, Mary. Keep your mouth closed! You got yourself into this in the first place." Eileen's soft voice said, but it was caring rather than accusing.

I was about to retort but I couldn't' as sparks went off behind my eyelids. A thick fog was now enveloping my hurt body and my subconscious embraced it gladly. After that, I lost all feeling and my brain drifted.


	7. Visit

**Chapter 7**

**(A/N: Sigh. REVIEWS! I need more!)**

Chapter 7

The constant daily treatments kept my brain foggy and drowsy. Occasionally, I would be awake long enough to catch short conversations and sounds but as time went on; I slipped into a world of my own, never differentiating reality from my fantasies.

That day, I was surprisingly awake, or at least I thought I was. I opened my eyelids to peek through them. I saw Eileen in my peripheral vision, reading a magazine in a chair by the door. Suddenly, the white door creaked open. Was it Dr. Sinclair? I pretended to drift off, trying hard to hold on to this piece of reality.

Then a voice spoke. One that was sickeningly familiar. One that I hoped to never hear again. His voice sounded like a charming gentlemen and had an alluring effect. I dared not to open my eyes again.

"Ahh, how pleasant. Eileen, is it?" He asked. I heard the scraping of the chair as my friend stood up abruptly.

"What are you doing here?" She hissed. Her voice was so soft, I had to strain my ears to catch it. "She's safe here. Don't you dare lay a finger on her."

"And what good is she to you? She's too tiny to make a snack and she's just a burden," James chuckled, "Give her to me. Her blood calls out to me. After I dispose of her, I could always find you another human to take care of."

"You sicken me," Eileen spat. "Do you know how you've traumatized this girl's life? I will not have you end it! Is it not enough that you rely on humans in the first place? I suppose you will never learn the better aspects of my diet."

"Curious, but nonetheless, there are no advantages. What's the lure to staying in one place? Where's the adventure? The thirst alone would destroy me before the Volturi," The man said conversationally. I could almost imagine Eileen's gold eyes narrowing.

"Get away from here this instant." She snapped and a moment later, the slamming of the door was heard. I wasn't sure if this was a dream or real anymore. Nothing made sense in the world. What were they talking about? Blood? The Volturi? What was that?

My poor mind screamed for some sense so I slipped back into the place I created for myself to get through the treatments. I barely felt them anymore when I was safe in my mind. The beautiful colors surrounded a pasture and it was somewhere I could run away to. Somewhere where there were no rules or asylums. Just me and my dancing shoes.

****

I lost track of days, weeks, months. A year could have passed and I might not have known it. The only events that bore themselves into my brain were the ones where the mysterious James came to visit. I hear him and Eileen arguing as I pretended to sleep. They were short and always ended with the slamming of the door.

"I won't let anything hurt you, my dear," Eileen whispers to me at night. Her whimsical voice was comforting and reassuring. I truly believed that Eileen will never let anything horrible happen. I had grown to like her again. The conscious moments were sometimes occupied with her songs that she sang to herself.

Little did I know what was coming for me the next day.


	8. The Future

**Chapter 8**

**(A/N: I am so sorry! I've been extremely busy but I will now attempt to update all my stories as well as bring you guys some new songs. I'm so sorry, yet again!)**

Chapter 8

The day began normally, or so I thought it began. I have lost track of time long ago. I was dozing quite happily, semi aware of the soft mattress beneath my tiny body. The silence stretched on for a while when I heard the door slam.

"Mary! We're leaving. Now," Eileen's voice was brisk and sharp in my ear. I was too far gone to nod so I opened my eyes and blinked. She took that as confirmation as she helped me into my wheelchair.

I wanted to ask what was going on, but I couldn't form words. My tongue was heavy inside my mouth but the curiosity showed in my eyes. Eileen spun me around and raced down the hall, the wheelchair's wheels struggling to keep up.

"There's no time to explain. We need to get you away. Now!" And then there was air.

Glorious, pure, fresh wintry air that stung my face. The outside world, so foreign to me after all these days, sprung in front of my eyes, dazzling me with its colors. Then I realized that it wasn't the scenery that was dazzling me.

Sunlight was glancing off Eileen as if she were a gem. Brilliant shafts of light reflected off of her pale skin. Then we entered the woods and the light was gone.

Eileen ran swift and fast, the wheelchair bouncing over rocks. Finally, the wheels gave a low hiss and they went flat. Cursing, she swept me up in her arms as if I weighed nothing and continued to run. Trees zoomed past in a blur.

"It'll be alright, Mary. Just fine," she murmured in my ear. Assured by her melodic voice, I hid my face against her chest and closed my eyes. Her heart did not beat beneath me but somehow, I found this fact oddly comforting.

Then the footsteps came behind us.

They were light, but crushed branches. I could hear the rush of an abnormal wind behind us and it all came back to me.

My murderer was coming back.

"You can't run from me forever!" His voice called, tinted with the excitement he felt. "Give her to me now, Eileen, and I won't execute my punishment."

"Never, James! It is my way as I think you should quit yours!" Eileen called, her gentle voice filled with hatred.

"Quit my way?" James let out a quick bark of laughter, "There is no other way, Eileen. But, you leave me no choice…"

I heard a bang as if two boulders had knocked against one another and I was suddenly flying in the air. I landed on the wood chipped ground with a dull thud, my head hitting against the trunk of a tree and splinters covered my legs.

There was a fierce growling but I couldn't see. Red was seeping into my eyelids, my short hair tangling with the dark liquid that was dripping slowly from my skull.

"I'm sorry, Mary," I heard Eileen's voice gasp beside my ear and then something sharp pierced my neck.

The shocking electricity they zapped me with had long dulled my senses. Even with my nerves muted, I could feel the tingling in my veins. A kind of buzzing sound was filling my brain and my blood felt hot under my skin.

There was a metallic ripping noise and the smell of fire filled my nose. An angry roar exploded in the silent skies and then it was quiet again.

I slipped back into the world I created for myself. A world where Eileen still hummed and my mother read to my sister and me from a newspaper article. A world where James never existed.

****

It was like waking up from a blurred dream when I picked myself off the ground. I shook my head groggily. Where was I? What am I doing here? And most importantly, who was I?

Alice. Something prickled in my mind. Was my name Alice?

My surroundings were unfamiliar also. Some oak trees stood around, smelling of some woodsy scent. There was a mark on the ground where a fire was lit. A fire? Something prickled in my memory but I couldn't remember the details. It was like there was a blockage in my brain.

Have I always been this way? I extended my arm and examined it. My skin was pale but other than that, they looked human. So I was suffering from a case of amnesia.

Then, an image hit me. A vision, I was having a vision. This fact came easily and I felt content knowing that I realized at least a part of what I was before. The image overtook me and I dove into it, embracing the glorious video.

I was smiling and walking through a long corridor. There was a door ajar and the large window faced me, looking out onto a fantastic scenery. A bronze haired boy was carrying some CDs from the room while the blonde girl beside me scowled. Beside her stood a large boy, grinning at me. "Welcome home, Alice," Another voice said and I turned to see a tall, blonde man, holding hands with a slender woman whose caramel locks fell in gentle waves.

But most importantly, I felt the presence of someone holding my hand. Looking up, I saw the tall figure, smiling at me wistfully. His red eyes told a million tragedies, his neck was ravaged with scars, his golden hair fell into his face limply but he was there. I felt as if I had known him my entire life.

Jasper, something in my mind said.

And I knew that this was my destiny.

THE END


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